In The Ruins
by Damara
Summary: Clois Alt Ending for Combat--What do you do when in the blink of an eye, everything that you never knew you always wanted, suddenly hangs in the balance? Clark Kent is about to find out.
1. Fallout

**Title: In the Ruins**

**Author: Damara**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer**: The characters herein are NOT mine. I just wanted to bring them out to play for a little while…They belong to Warner Brothers and the CW Networks, as well as to the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. I promise to return them when I'm done with them…**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED**.

**Spoilers: **For Combat (Season 6)

**Summary**: Lois/Clark (Alternate Ending for "Combat") -- What do you do when in the blink of an eye, everything that you never knew you always wanted, suddenly hangs in the balance? Clark Kent is about to find out…

* * *

[Chapter One -- Fallout]

She was lying completely motionless on the floor of the ring when Clark found her. When he saw her, he immediately, if not somewhat desperately, sprang into action and hurried to her side.

"Lois?" his voice broke slightly as he bent down beside her. When she didn't move or respond in any way to the sound of his voice, Clark found it impossible to squelch the terror that gripped him.

_This is all my fault…_

Then more urgently he spoke again, "Lois..."

By now he was hoping for anything; a twitch, even a murmur would placate his growing unease.

But when his plea again went unanswered, Clark knew he needed to get her to a hospital.

"Hold on Lois," he spoke softly. He didn't know if she could hear him. He only hoped that she could, and that she would find his words comforting.

"You're going to be okay," he quelled as he gently gathered her small body in his arms. He whispered the words to her again; unconscious of whether they were an attempt to reassure her or himself.

_You're going to be okay._

Clark nestled Lois's bruised frame against his chest and ran as fast as his powers would allow him. In an instant he would get her to the hospital.

_Don't you dare leave me Lois…_

Frantically bursting through the doors of Smallville Medical Center, Martha Kent spied her son pacing near the entrance of Lois Lane's room.

"Clark?" she hurried towards him, the depth of her concern was written in the lines of her face. When she finally reached her son Martha embraced him; Clark's relief was instantly noticeable.

"How is she?" Martha asked as she pulled away to look him in the eye.

"I don't know Mom," he murmured.

Knowing her son as only she did, Martha immediately sensed his distress when he continued, "The doctors...they don't know anything yet. They said they'd let me know as soon as they knew something. But Mom...she was, she was thrown so far. And she hit the ground so hard. And by the time I got to her..."

From the state of her son's distress, Martha got a real sense of the condition he must have found her in.

"I just...," he sounded resigned and it broke her heart, "I should have protected her. She shouldn't have been there. None of this should have happened."

"What _did_ happen Clark?" his mother prodded gently.

"I'm not really sure exactly. Chloe helped me track down this underground fight club that was turning people with meteor powers against each other in live combat. But somehow, by the time I'd gotten there Lois was already inside. We were both in the ring when I got distracted by this Kryptonian who'd escaped from the Phantom Zone named Titan. He threw me to the other side of the ring and that must have been when she was, when she was..."

"It's going to be alright sweetheart. Lois is a very strong young woman. She's a fighter. I know she'll pull through this. If anyone can do it, I think we both know it'll be her."

Nodding solemnly at his mother's encouragement, Clark paused for a moment before announcing, "Chloe!"

"What about her sweetheart?" Martha asked.

"I can't believe I didn't think to...Mom, I didn't call her to tell her about Lois. She's going to be so worried."

Martha reached a comforting hand up to stroke his arm, "I'll call her Clark. I'm sure she'll want to come home to be with Lois."

Nodding thoughtfully, Clark was so distracted that he'd failed to notice Lois' doctor coming up behind him.

"Mr. Kent?" The older man spoke somewhat grimly.

"Doctor!" Clark turned to face him eagerly, "How's Lois? Is she going to be okay?"

"To be quite honest Mr. Kent, at this point there's no way to know for sure. She's sustained a fairly severe head trauma as well as several injuries and fractures along her ribs and forearms. But what I'm the most concerned about is her continued loss of consciousness. Her CT scan indicates that the contusions she's sustained have resulted in some low level swelling of her brain. Until it's alleviated we've no way of determining if or when she'll regain consciousness."

"...If?" Clark's croaked dryly.

"I'm going to be completely frank with you son; injuries of this nature and magnitude are extremely unpredictable. There's really no way of assessing recovery at this juncture. Although, I do want to stress that for the time being we've every reason to remain hopeful. Once your friend has been settled into her regular room, I've ordered an MRI to better assess the extent of her injuries, and to rule out any bleeding in the brain which could explain her loss of consciousness and swelling. Hopefully that'll give us a more complete picture of what's going on."

The hospital commotion faded into the background; Clark thought he heard his mother thank the doctor as he walked away. He wasn't really sure, since he'd aimlessly wandered away from both of them after listening to the doctor's assessment.

He'd heard what the doctor said; he was just having trouble understanding how it could be true.

_...If or when she'll regain consciousness._

It was then that Clark was struck, not only by the seriousness of Lois's condition, but also by the realization that he couldn't lose her.

_How could this have happened?_


	2. Martha Knows Best

[Chapter Two – Martha Knows Best]

* * *

It hadn't been more than a few minutes since Martha had left to call Chloe. And for Clark, what had begun as anxious pacing back and forth across the gray linoleum had ultimately ended with him sitting in a chair outside of Lois' room.

It was a few minutes later when his contemplative mood was interrupted by the sounds of Lois's gurney being wheeled down the hall. Clark stood up anxiously; it was the first time he'd seen her since he'd carried her into the Emergency Room. He lingered in the doorway as the watch nurse settled Lois into her room and tended to her IV and monitors.

Clearly sensing his unease, the older woman spoke gently and in a comforting tone, "It'll be a little while before she's taken down to Radiology for her MRI. You're welcome to sit and wait with her if you'd like."

Unsure of what to say or to do at that moment, Clark opted to quietly take a seat at Lois's bedside. When finally the last of the orderlies left them, Clark was sitting intently in silence. And though he felt an inextricable urge to take her hand, he stifled the strange desire. He refused to let himself touch her just yet.

Because it wasn't until just then, as he sat alone with her gazing upon her sleeping form that he realized how angry he was.

_Why did she have to be so stubborn? _

"I don't understand Lois," he couldn't help but be angry at himself for not protecting her better. _He should have known she'd be there_, he rationalized. _She is Lois Lane after all._

"For once, why couldn't you just listen to me?" he asked almost expectantly, as if waiting for her to fix her eyes on him poised to return an argument.

"Just once," he lectured with an intolerant tone, though even as the words left him Clark felt their sharpness fading.

"You just...you never listen! You make me so mad Lois!"

The silence though deafening, felt strangely empowering, "You know, I've lost too much already. I just don't think I can lose you too. And I don't even know why..."

By now his voice had grown perceptively softer. Watching her now Clark couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever see her eyes light up again the way they always did when she was actively irritating him. The thought that he might not made him miserable.

"I just wish you could hear me," he whispered sadly. Suddenly his mother's voice broke from the doorway, and it was a welcome reminder that he wasn't entirely alone.

"I like to think that Lois can hear you Clark," Martha Kent counseled gently.

"Mom..."

"I'm sorry Sweetheart. I wasn't eavesdropping...and I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, its okay," he smiled half-heartedly as she moved to sit in the chair beside him; she laid her hand over his arm comfortingly.

"Did you talk to Chloe?"

"She's on her way," she told him as she watched his eyes slowly drift back to Lois.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"I don't know Mom," he answered honestly; his response surprised them both.

"This is all my fault," he muttered in disappointment.

"Clark, you can't blame yourself for this," Martha asserted, "Lois is an independent, strong-willed and adventurous woman; she wanted to be there. You couldn't have stopped her even if you tried. And even though it doesn't sound like you believe that right now, I know that deep down you know that's the truth."

"Why does she always have to be so...she's always so...Lois!" he said for lack of a better explanation; though to the two of them that seemed to be explanation enough.

Martha smiled knowingly as she reminded him, "You know Sweetheart, as strong as you are even you can't control what Lois is going to do. She's going make decisions you might not agree with and she's going to act on those decisions whether you approve of them or not. Ultimately, no matter how powerful we are, we can't control what the people we love are going to do any more than we can control who we fall in love _with_."

His eyes shot up at hers with shock and amusement, "Mom, I'm not _in love_ with Lois."

Eying him expectantly, and clearly not swayed by his response, Martha waited patiently while her son systematically listed all of the reasons why he couldn't be in love with Lois Lane.

"Why would you even think that? I mean we fight _all_ the time. In fact she's made a sport out of driving me crazy. She never listens to _anything_ that I say. And I swear she's the most determined person I've ever met, especially when it comes to getting herself into trouble."

Nodding her agreement, Martha responded succinctly, "Yeah and she's a lot like me when I was her age."

Clark met his mother's stare with astonishment, and his tone conveyed his disbelief, "Mom you and Lois are nothing alike."

Barely containing her amusement, Martha eagerly corrected him, "Don't be so sure about that Clark. Believe it or not, when I was younger I had a little bit of wild streak in me too. I was a big city girl; and yeah, your grandfather made sure that I traveled in all the right circles and went to all of the right schools but...that didn't change the fact that I wanted a different life for myself than he did. So I was as rebellious as any other teenager in the same situation would have been. And that meant that I got into my fair share of trouble too. But I turned out okay."

Unable to hide his surprise, Clark wondered, "So what happened?"

"Well," she sighed happily, "I fell hopelessly and madly in love with a handsome, albeit stubborn young farmer who had nothing more to offer me than his heart and a wonderful small town life."

Clark recognized the way his mother's eyes sparkled when she spoke about his father, and it always comforted him.

"We were from completely different worlds your father and I. He was the son of a rural farmer, and as far as your grandfather was concerned, I was meant for far greater things. And you know, your father and I, we had our fair share of ups and downs like any normal couple. Somehow I was always the one jumping in head first, and he was always more cautious for both our sakes. We were different, but we also balanced each other out too. And as difficult as they seemed at the time, every rough patch we overcame together made us stronger. And for that I wouldn't change one disagreement between us."

Reminiscing in his mother's lesson, Clark was distracted when she spoke again, "So you see Sweetheart, it's not so strange to think that you and Lois might mean more to each other than either of you will let yourselves admit."

"Mom what exactly are you trying to say?"

Martha paused as she picked her words thoughtfully, "Just that sometimes the best romances are the ones that we never see coming. Clark all these years I've watched you close yourself off to the possibility that you could be with anyone other than Lana. And yet every time you've had the chance to share your secret with her, you've always been the one to step away. So I wonder…have you really resigned yourself to the idea that you'll never share that part of yourself with someone? Or all this time have you just been waiting for the right person?"

Clark watched his mother quietly and focused intently on what she was telling him, "I love you so much Clark, and I want you to find the same kind of happiness that your father and I were blessed with. So just promise me that you'll think about what I've said? I'm not saying that your feelings for Lois are something that you have to figure out right now or even that they have to change. All I'm saying is that after what happened tonight, you should be honest with yourself about what you're feeling. And don't be afraid to ask yourself why you feel that way, or what Lois really means to you."

Martha watched as her son's eyes shot up to meet hers anxiously. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, or tried to deny it, Clark's eyes always betrayed the depth of his emotions. And as his mother, Martha knew better than anyone the internal battle he was waging.

"Because even though you might not realize it yet Clark, the truth is that when you can answer that question…you'll know what you have to do."


	3. A Friendly Heart to Heart

[Chapter Three -- A Friendly Heart to Heart]

* * *

"Mr. Kent?"

Clark's head shot up when he heard the familiar voice of Lois' watch nurse break through his quiet musings.

When she knew she'd garnered his full attention, the woman smiled warmly, "I just thought you'd like to know that I called down to check on Ms. Lane. They're just finishing up with her MRI now so they'll be returning shortly. The doctor should be coming to talk to you about the results soon."

As she'd stood in the doorway she'd felt compelled to give him an update; especially after she'd watched him worry a hole in the floor of her patient's room for the last hour.

Nodding gratefully Clark tried his best to smile despite the circumstances, "Thanks for checking. I uh...I guess I've been a little restless."

The woman smiled in understanding as she told him, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how long have you two been together?"

"Sorry?" Clark's surprise was evident, but when she didn't elaborate any further it was clear what she'd meant; "Me and Lois? Oh we're not together. I mean we're... just friends."

"Oh, I don't know why I just assumed...," the older woman explained awkwardly. When Clark continued watching her expectantly she added, "I just noticed how worried you've been, and then I remembered that I've seen you here a few times before with Miss Lane."

Biting back a laugh Clark told her, "I'm not surprised, Lois has a bit of a knack for snooping around in places she shouldn't. She's made treatment for superficial injuries an art form."

Clark's comment earned him a smile, though he remained grimly aware of the severity of Lois' current condition. This wasn't just another shard of glass sticking out of her shoulder, and it wasn't just another bump on her head either.

"I hate sitting here like this! There has to be something that I can do for her," the desperation in his voice was apparent; it confirmed her suspicion that she meant more to him than he was letting on. After her many years of watching people in situations like this one, the woman hoped that she might be able to soothe his worried mind.

With a reassuring smile she took a small step toward him, "Believe me when I say that your being here for her is enough."

When Clark met her eye, she told him confidently, "Miss Lane strikes me as a pretty headstrong young woman. I doubt that she's ever given up on anything without a fight. I'm sure this will be no different."

Clark's reaction conveyed his appreciation for her optimism; he smiled briefly in gratitude before their quiet exchange was broken by the worried voice of his best friend.

Excusing himself and stepping around the woman in front of him, Clark bridged the doorway in time to find the doors at the end of the hall swinging open.

"Clark!"

"Chloe."

When she saw him she hurried toward him, her anxiety erupted with a whirlwind of questions, "Clark I got here as fast as I could. Where is she? Is she okay?"

With two hands on either side of her arms, Clark tried his best to help ease her frayed emotions.

"Chloe, right now we don't really know anything more. They're doing some tests, but the doctor said he'd come down to talk to us as soon as they're finished. "

"God Clark," tears were beginning to fall unbidden as she became more flustered, "She has to be okay. She just has to be. I can't lose her Clark, I can't!"

Pulling her into him, Clark wrapped her in his arms and held her close as she gripped him. As she cried her body shook against his; as Chloe rode through the waves of her grief, Clark suddenly found himself fighting back tears of his own.

Somehow Chloe's reaction made the terror he felt over the situation all the more real.

"Are you okay?" he whispered against her hair.

"I need to see her," she managed as her sobs slowly faded into tight shallow breaths.

"I know. They should be bringing her back any minute now." Chloe wiped at her tear stained cheeks and calmed down with a deep cleansing breath, "I'm sorry Clark. I really didn't mean to lose it like that..."

"It's okay Chloe," which was of course his way of assuring her there was no explanation required.

"I really need her to be alright Clark."

"She will be," he quickly promised, "I mean this is Lois we're talking about right?" And yet somewhere in the midst of his reassurance to her, Clark registered that he needed to believe what he was saying as much as she did.

"Besides," he started again in a lighter tone, "I'm pretty sure that before all the action started she and I were arguing. And when have you ever known her to let me have the last word?"

Laughing despite her tears, Chloe allowed herself a smile, however brief.

"You're right," she mumbled as she gingerly pulled away from his comforting warmth. "It's just that when your mom called...well let's just say that getting a call like that is one of my worst fears."

Clark watched her carefully; Chloe and Lois were like sisters. The thought of losing Lois would have been devastating to her. He reached out to stroke her arm comfortingly; and he watched as she composed herself with one more deep breath.

"So tell me what happened. I mean, what was Lois even doing there?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he started to explain as he guided them to a set of chairs outside of Lois's room. "After I tracked down Maddox he took me to the club and I _thought_ I'd be put in the ring with Titan. But by the time I got there Lois had already gotten herself caught. I don't know how she even knew about the fights in the first place. But, when I showed up they threw us both in the ring together."

"You and Lois?"

Nodding his affirmation, Clark continued, "And you know Lois…she decided that we should actually fight each other to make it look real while we planned our escape. But that's when Titan showed up. And he hit me hard; I flew across the ring and hit the ground."

Clark glanced around quickly to make sure they weren't being overheard. When he was confident that no one else could hear, he lowered his voice slightly, "And even with my powers, it still took me a while to get back up. By the time I did Lois was already lying on the ground. If he threw her...," Clark shuddered at the thought, and for both their sakes he couldn't finish his sentence. Because the simple truth was, that if Lois had been thrown like he had then it was a miracle she was even still alive.

Shaking his head in disbelief Clark muttered sadly, "I just can't believe it Chloe."

"I know Clark. But if I know Lois she's not going down without a serious fight," she resolved, "She'll be okay."

"No," he rebuffed, "I mean I can't believe that I was so consumed by my urge to kill Titan that I literally lost Lois in the middle of it all. How could I do that? How could I be so distracted that I was completely oblivious to where she was? I couldn't protect her. And the worst part about it is that I don't even remember trying. I didn't even notice she was in danger until it was too late."

Clark realized how ashamed he was by his behavior when he couldn't even look his best friend in the eye.

"I don't believe that Clark. And neither do you."

"I don't?" he didn't sound convinced.

"Look there's no denying that you've been in a whole different mindset lately. And even though you're refusing to deal with it, I know that Lana's recent nuptials had something to do with it. And yeah, I know you well enough to know that no matter what I say you're going to blame yourself anyway for what happened tonight. But you shouldn't. I don't."

Clark finally looked her in the eye as he listened intently, "It's like you said…Lois was already there, and God only knows how she pieced it all together. But _she_ did it. And for one reason or another _she_ _chose_ to put herself in that situation. And as strong as you are, you'll never have the power to change whatever part of her made that decision. Believe me on this one, I've tried."

"But I should have protected her Chloe! I might not have known she'd be there, but once I did she should have been my priority," he maintained, unwilling to let himself off the hook.

"Well Clark, maybe I'm just as much to blame for what happened tonight as you are. I could have prevented it too."

He fixed her with a confused stare, "What are you talking about?"

"If I'd just explained to Lois what was really going on, instead of hiding it from her, then maybe she wouldn't have felt like she needed to investigate the club alone. Maybe she never would have been there if I'd been honest with her from the beginning."

"Please don't say that Chloe. This isn't your fault."

"Well it isn't yours either!"

Taken aback by her abruptness he started in protest only to be cut off, "Chloe..."

"You're not one of the bad guys Clark, so stop treating yourself like one!"

Watching her skeptically, Clark was silent as she continued to set him straight, "Besides even if I didn't already know Lois well enough to believe that she got _herself_ into this mess...I know _you_ well enough to know that you could never be responsible for letting her get hurt."

His eyes were fixed on her as she prodded, "And you know why?"

"Because you're my best friend?" he guessed.

"Well yeah there's that. But that's not the only reason."

"What else is there?"

Chloe trained her soft eyes on him as she posed a question she already knew the answer to, "Titan almost killed you in that fight Clark. But if you'd had the chance, would you have traded places with Lois?"

Clark's response was both easy to give and difficult to reconcile when he realized how readily he'd give his life to keep Lois safe, "Yes."

He told her honestly; his eyes were wide with his discovery, "...I would've."

Smiling warmly at her best friend, Chloe watched as something changed in him. Some grand realization had just dawned on him, and she knew he'd come to terms with something important. She didn't know the exact nature of his decision; but she sensed that it was something he'd been grappling with for some time.

"Your Mom mentioned how worried she was about you when she called me," Chloe started perceptively, eyeing him for a reaction. "She told me you were really upset…and scared for Lois. I knew to expect that when I got here but, it's more than that isn't it?"

"Chloe...," he wasn't sure if this was a conversation they could have comfortably.

"It's okay Clark. I'm a big girl now, and you don't have to protect me from the truth anymore remember? I just want you to know that, whatever you're feeling it's alright. It's good even; because I want you to be happy. You and Lois are the most important people in my life, and you both deserve the same kind of happiness that I've found with Jimmy."

Clark remained silent as the weight of his friend's sentiment settled over him.

Deciding it best not to pry any further into his thoughts on the subject, Chloe addressed another issue of some importance, "So...there is one other thing though that I'm not too clear on…"

When she was sure she'd gotten his attention again she added, "...You said when you and Lois were in the ring that she tried to fight you. Did she see anything that might make her suspicious of your powers?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I refused to fight her at first and she tried to force me by hitting me in the stomach."

"She did?"

Nodding he added, "And I'm pretty sure that she got a good look at Titan punching me in the face. By all rights a normal man should have been dead after a blow like that."

Breathing out a long sigh she absorbed that information, "And then what happened?"

Guilt was written all over his face when Clark answered sadly, "I think she hurt herself when she hit me."

Immediately sensing where his mind was headed Chloe rolled her eyes before forcefully interjecting, "Which wasn't your fault!"

"Chloe," he breathed, determined to take the blame for Lois's condition.

"Did you see it coming?" she asked without preamble.

"What?"

"The punch. Did you see it coming?"

Replaying the fight in his mind he smirked, "Well, no actually. She kind of sucker punched me."

"Well then there was no way you could have prevented her from getting hurt," she explained exasperated. Thankfully Clark seemed to accept her answer without any further argument, at which point she added, "We will need to come up with a cover story though for when she wakes up. It's not like we want her poking around your secret."

"Yeah...I guess," he responded half-heartedly as his attention seemed to wander again.

"You guess?" Chloe's confusion was clear, but she didn't have the opportunity to ask for an explanation before she saw Martha Kent coming toward them with an older man in a lab coat.

"Hello, are you Miss Sullivan, Lois Lane's cousin?" he asked officially. Chloe and Clark both stood up from their seats.

"Yes I am. Please...tell me, is she going to be okay?"

"Well so far there doesn't seem to be any change in her state of consciousness. Her MRI results however are promising. There don't appear to be any subdural hematoma or bleeding present. At this point she's resting comfortably and being carefully monitored. I expect that given her young age and the fact that she's in otherwise excellent health, that she'll recover nicely from her other injuries. As far as her swelling, it's reassuring that the MRI didn't uncover an underlying cause. So now we can assume that it's simply the result of bruising. She's not awake yet, but I suspect that if bruising is the culprit, she should regain consciousness within the next 12 to 24 hours."

"So then, she'll be okay?" Chloe's anxiously broke through the doctors' diatribe of medical jargon.

"I expect her to make a full recovery," he said through the hint of a smile.

Chloe and Clark both sighed in relief.

"Can we see her?" Clark asked.

"Yes of course," the doctor answered, "She should be moved back into her room shortly. You can visit with her there."

"Thank you doctor," Martha cut in happily before he turned to leave. As soon as he'd started down the hall Clark pulled Chloe into a celebratory hug.

"She's going to be alright," Chloe breathed happily as she and Clark embraced smiling. Looking over her shoulder at his mother, Clark and Martha shared a contented smile.

For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful.


	4. Reflections

[Chapter Four -- Reflections]

* * *

It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Clark last remembered checking the time. Now, he was sitting in quiet reflection at Lois's bedside, and Chloe was sleeping soundly, her head perched comfortably on his shoulder.

For the last several hours he'd been sitting awake and mulling over the sage advice of both his mother and best friend. And in the aftermath of his quiet musings, he was beginning to wonder if his mother was right.

There was no denying that since the day they'd met almost three years ago, he and Lois had driven each other crazy. They'd settled into a comfortable routine of relentless teasing and getting under each other's skin.

Lois could be short-tempered, irritating, and at times infuriating. But then, if he was being honest with himself he'd often marveled at how mysteriously beautiful she was. Lois Lane baffled him. She was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma that he never tired of trying to solve. Sure she was exhausting, but she had a quiet strength about her that he'd always subconsciously been drawn to, even if it was in a way that he couldn't explain.

He liked that she didn't necessarily take 'no' for an answer, especially from him. And that she demanded more from the people she cared about than perhaps even they thought themselves capable. She had high expectations and she always went after what she wanted. She was fearless in that way.

He admired that about her. Though he'd never admit it since it was so often responsible for getting her into trouble.

She was utterly impulsive, and that usually got her into the most precarious situations; a fact that deeply worried him more and more frequently these days.

It was true that she could be overly eager and hard-headed. Yet even when they were bickering back and forth his respect for her had never wavered ...but then neither did her tenacity.

And even though he complained about it regularly, he had to admit that he admired that about her too.

_It was strange really_, he acknowledged.

When he was with her, even from the very beginning, there was a part of him that was infinitely at ease in her presence. He'd never really been able to understand why, but something about her had instantly set her apart from all of the other women in his life.

It was that same unknown something that kept telling him that despite their differences, they shared a deeper connection.

...And an unspoken loyalty that had yet to be acknowledged.

And it was for all these reasons, he realized, that he wanted to share his secret with her. Though not only because he was eager to finally be rid of the deceptions, but also because the thought of having to lie to Lois was somehow more difficult than it had ever been.

...Even with Lana.

And that was a truly startling revelation; though perhaps not as startling as the realization that tonight he'd almost lost his chance to ever be that honest with her.

_What if..._

What if Lois had been taken away from him forever?

_What would he have done then?_

Clark shuddered at the reminder of how close he'd actually come to losing her; if he had he might never have known what they meant to each other.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Clark's eyes settled softly again on Lois's form.

_She was so beautiful. _

He felt a sharp pang of regret as he realized he'd never told her that. There were a great many things he'd never told her, he thought sadly.

His gentle gaze remained fixed on her, and suddenly he registered the sound of her soft murmur. To anyone else the noise would be inaudible, but to Clark's super-senses the sound was so beautiful that it reverberated throughout his entire body.

He sat still as he watched Lois struggle to open her eyes, afraid to move for fear that he find he was hallucinating. But then he smiled when another murmur escaped her and she slowly began to register her surroundings.

Clark spoke softly; his voice was a quiet kind of soothing that was wholly unfamiliar to her.

"...Lois..."

Slowly turning toward him, Lois couldn't hide her confusion in response to the rawness in his voice.

"...Clark?"

* * *

_**Alrighty then...so first let me make a few apologies. Numero uno on my list - I realize that this next chapter has been a long time coming, and I'm truly, truly sorry for that. Chalk it up to a combination effect of real-life craziness and overall discontent with the current state of things on Smallville. No offense to any of you out there that happen to be Lana fans...but I'm really not. And as a life-long fan of the romance that is Lois/Clark/Superman, I'm not a huge supporter of the current direction of the show or the state of the characters. That being said...I have not forgotten about this story and I do have plans to continue on regardless of how things appear on the show currently (because I think we all know that EVENTUALLY things will get straightened out). **_

_**My second apology to you all has to do with the short length of the chapter. I promise to flesh them out from here on out. In retrospect this one could have actually been tacked on to the end of the last chapter. But I thought it somehow worked better this way. In any event...thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have continued to stay with this story. You guys are truly the reason I was ever inspired to revisit it. So from the bottom of my heart...thank you! **_


	5. Resolutions

[Chapter 5 – Resolutions]

* * *

Letting out the breath he'd been holding since he'd first heard her stir, Clark smiled with relief. Leaning forward he couldn't help reaching out and brushing the hair from her forehead; his hand tenderly grazed her skin.

"Hi," he nearly sighed in greeting.

"Clark?" When he gently smoothed the back of his fingers over her cheek and across her lips she moaned in a disoriented daze, "Am I dreaming?"

"No," he promised with a smile that made her heart flutter, "Do you know where you are?"

Slightly more alert now, she nuzzled into the comforting warmth radiating off of his skin and took in her surroundings, "Am I in the hospital?"

"Yes, but you're going to be okay," he soothed.

"What happened...how did I get here?"

"Well..." he started, but just as he was about to explain Chloe stirred beside him, her sleep having been jarred by his movements.

"Lois? Oh God, Lois...you're awake," Chloe smiled.

"Yeah," Lois spoke; her usual candor making a comeback, "And normally I'd be glad that everyone's so happy to see me, but honestly everyone's excitement is starting to freak me out. So will somebody please tell me what's going on?"

"You don't remember?" Clark asked quietly, unsure of whether he felt relief or disappointment. He also remained unaware of the effect that he was having on Lois as he unconsciously grazed his fingers back and forth across her forearm.

She followed the movement of his hand with her eyes and paused for a before telling him, "Not really. I remember being led into the fight ring and seeing you there Smallville. And then we were circling each other and I uh...," stopping herself short Lois caught her breath before continuing, "and then steroid-boy showed up and started pounding on you. You took a pretty good beating from the looks of it. Are you okay Clark?"

With a warm smile he assured her he was.

Nodding her satisfaction she smiled a little strangely before reassessing her surroundings, "Good, because that's about all I remember. So is somebody going to fill me in on the rest?"

Exchanging glances with Chloe, Clark took a deep breath before answering, "You were knocked unconscious during all the commotion. You've been out all night."

Lois's apparent attentiveness indicated that she was buying his edited version of events, but her eyes seemed to tell a different story.

He wasn't sure, but the knowing glint in her eyes hinted that she remembered more than she might be letting on. For now though she was nodding, ostensibly recalling the ordeal as he retold it.

"Yeah but what happened to that overgrown ogre we were trapped with? And how did we manage to get away Clark?" Lois posed skeptically; and Chloe suddenly began to feel like a third wheel.

"I don't know what to tell you Lois. I guess he just ran out of steam..." he offered lamely.

Watching him suspiciously Lois replied, "Huh. Imagine that."

Under her steady gaze Clark swallowed down his discomfort.

"Anyway," Chloe interjected, "It's not important because you're both okay and that's all that I care about." Looking down at her cousin Chloe pleaded, "Next time though Lois maybe you'll listen to me when I ask you to leave well enough alone? You were nearly killed tonight," she admonished gently.

Fighting back tears she continued somberly, "...I don't know what I would have done without you Lois."

"I'm sorry Chloe. I didn't mean to scare you. But I knew when you guys told me there was nothing to that story that you were both hiding something."

Meeting each one of their stares, as if waiting for one of them to confide the truth, Lois made no attempt to hide her double meaning.

Unable to bear the weight of her stare any longer, Clark stood up anxiously from his seat and pocketed his hands. He suddenly felt the need to escape for some much needed air, "I'm going to go find my Mom. I know that she'll want to see you now that you're awake Lois."

As he looked down at her Clark swore he detected sadness, and he hated knowing that he was the reason for it. He wanted to give her the truth she craved. He couldn't help feeling like he was betraying her confidence in him by withholding it. He just wasn't sure if he was ready yet. But he also didn't want to leave her this way either; so he stopped in the doorway and turned to face her.

"I'll be back in a little while," and then he surprised her when he added teasingly, "Promise to keep yourself out of mortal danger until I get back? I don't think I could go through that again."

Nodding mutely, but unable to break his stare, she was floored by his intensity; he'd never looked at her that way before.

Before she could form a response he turned and walked out of sight. Glancing over at her cousin Lois noted her surprise; Chloe appeared to be trying to hide a smile.

"What's gotten into him?" Lois asked with astonishment.

Chloe just shook her head and smiled knowingly, "I think that's one conversation best left between you two."

******

Clark moved purposefully down the corridor leading back to Lois's room.

It had been a few hours since he'd last seen her. Chloe and his mom had taken shifts sitting with her, and he was already getting antsy for his turn. Chloe had since headed back to her and Lois's apartment to get a few of her things. His mom had promised to sit with Lois until he got back from walking her out to her car; a task that had taken longer than he'd expected since Chloe capitalized on the opportunity to counsel him in the parking lot. She'd apparently sensed his eagerness to share his secret with Lois, and impressed upon him the importance of thinking the decision through before acting on it. Not that she disagreed with his decision of course; Chloe was all for the idea. Lois deserved the truth she'd told him, especially if Clark had any inkling of romantic interest in her.

And Lois was after all, itching for an explanation. Knowing Lois, Chloe reminded him, she wouldn't settle for anything less than full disclosure.

After their talk Clark took his time navigating the hospital corridors as he considered the danger inherent in revealing the truth to Lois. Fear of how she'd react aside, the danger to her would be magnified triple-fold, and Lois it seemed had already cornered the market on perilous situations.

And that didn't change the fact that he was still terrified she'd reject his affections entirely. Lois had never given Clark any indication that she felt anything other than annoyance for him. Although he reminded himself, there had been a few instances over the last several months that were encouraging. And actually as he thought back on those incidents now, his behavior revealed quite a bit about his own feelings for her.

And then there had been her reaction when she'd awoken earlier. He swore that when she'd looked at him and found him beside her she was...relieved, dare he even suggest it...happy.

Now as he neared her room, his quiet musings were halted by the comforting sound of his mother's voice.

"...You just have to give it time Lois. Be patient, I'm sure that whatever it is will work itself out."

Careful not to disturb their conversation, Clark stood quietly outside the door, his back flush against the wall. Normally he wouldn't have eavesdropped on a private conversation, but in this instance he was slightly embarrassed to admit that his curiosity outweighed his better judgment.

"Maybe," he heard Lois answer in a hushed tone, "Mrs. K? Have you ever worried that someone you cared about didn't trust you? Like everything you thought you knew might be colored by a secret they didn't think you could handle? I'm sorry I'm not explaining this very well..."

Neither of them was aware of Clark's presence; he lowered his head ashamedly and closed his eyes.

"Lois sometimes what we interpret as mistrust is really just misunderstood concern. Obviously I don't know all the details...but I'm sure that whoever you're worried about, appreciates the value of your trust. Just give it time, Sweetheart. I'm sure that whoever they are... they'll share everything with you when they're ready."

Though he couldn't see her, Clark imagined Lois nodding quietly in response to his mothers' assurance.

"Now," he heard his mother speak again, "I should be getting back to the farm."

Sensing his mother's eminent departure, Clark stood up straighter against the wall behind him; the rustling he heard inside prepared him for her exit.

"...And you need your rest," she mothered.

"Thanks so much for hanging around Mrs. K. It's been a long time since I felt looked after, and having you here means a lot," Clark felt ashamed all over again for intruding on their personal moment.

He imagined his mother taking Lois's hand and leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. A suspicion that was confirmed when he heard more rustling and then a soft smack that sounded like a kiss.

"You're like a daughter to me Lois. You know you can always come to me with anything right?"

"I do," Lois sounded teary.

"Good. Now get some rest," she ordered. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Goodnight Mrs. K. And thanks again."

In his periphery Clark saw his mother round the corner of the doorway; he was caught red-handed as his mother breezed past him and lifted her brow in surprise.

"Clark? How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long. A few minutes," he confessed.

"I see," strangely she didn't sound disappointed, though Clark still couldn't look her in the eye.

"Well, I'm heading home. Maybe you two should talk? That is if you've given any more thought to what I said earlier," she prodded gently.

He slouched back against the wall behind him before finally catching her eyes, "I don't know what I would have done Mom if I'd lost her."

Though he didn't say Lois's name it was clear who'd he'd meant. Martha was pleasantly surprised by the rawness of his confession. Her son had been through so much over the last year; knowing that he was finally starting to move on was a huge relief.

"I don't know what I would have done," he repeated, "But I would have regretted not telling her how I felt while I had the chance. I don't want to look back and wonder if I missed out on something special."

Martha smiled encouragingly as she reached up to caress his cheek, "Then you've decided what you'll do?"

Shaking his head in frustration his eyes conveyed a feeling of panic, "What if knowing my secret puts her at even greater risk?"

"We can't know the future Clark. One thing is for sure, you owe her the truth if you hope to be together. Once she understands what being with you means, then it will be her choice to make."

"Yeah..."

She reached forward to embrace him, and whispered comfortingly, "Lois is a strong woman; I think you'll be surprised what she's capable of."

Clark chuckled lightly, "Or at what hospital furniture she can throw at me."

Laughing with him Martha leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, "Whatever you decide...good luck." Then releasing her hold on him she stepped back smiling.

And with one last consoling touch, Martha left her son standing alone in the hallway.

Clark watched as his mother retreated out of sight. Then Clark took a deep breath and turned the corner into Lois' room.


	6. Revelations

[Chapter 6 – Revelations]

* * *

As Clark stepped into Lois's hospital room he noted that even with the dim light and the ugly hospital gown she wore...Lois was beautiful.

He was careful not to disturb her; from his position in the doorway he could tell that her eyes were closed. Somehow, even considering the circumstances that kept her here, Lois looked peaceful. For Clark, on the other hand, the image of her lying in yet another hospital bed brought him unimaginable grief.

_This was beginning to become an all too familiar scene between them,_ he thought sadly. Too often she was getting herself into trouble, and invariably the result was always the same...her ending up hurt.

"Lois..." he spoke softly, unsure if she could hear him. He released an audible sigh when she turned her head more fully toward the sound of his voice.

"Hey Clark," she mumbled with a hint of a smile. Clark pulled the chair his mother had recently vacated closer to her bedside and sat down.

"Hey," he started softly, "How are you feeling?" Despite his usual distaste for her use of the word 'fine', he secretly hoped that she would use it now; he hated the idea that she was in any pain.

"Like I got trampled by an elephant. You?" she added teasingly.

Half-smiling he assured her, "I'm fine."

"Good," she swallowed anxiously. She wasn't sure what else to say to him just then; and she secretly hated that feeling.

"So tell me...how bad is it?" she prompted.

"How bad is what?" he sounded confused.

"My injuries."

"The doctor hasn't been in to see you?" he was surprised.

"No, Mr. Bedside Manner was here. I just couldn't process a word he said at the time." Clark nodded his understanding and took a deep breath before answering.

"Well he says you're going to be okay, but you're pretty banged up. You've got two broken ribs, a bruised collarbone...," it physically pained him to have to list her injuries. He only wished she'd turned and run when he'd told her to.

But then Lois never did anything he told her to.

"...A broken wrist...," he added sadly. That one he took personal responsibility for, and for that he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

"Sounds like I'm going to be out of the party scene for a while huh?" she joked lightly, but it didn't break through his concerned scowl.

"What's the matter Smallville? I got knocked unconscious and somehow you look worse than I do."

He shook his head nervously when he realized she was intently waiting for an explanation, "So much has happened tonight that I just..." he started but stopped himself when he saw that she was hanging on his every word. This was it, he knew. The decision he'd been wrestling with all night.

"Lois, I can sit here and pretend that what happened to you tonight didn't affect me, but I'd be lying to us both," he told her fervently.

"I don't understand," she told him.

"Listen Lois, I've been sitting here for hours thinking about what my life would be like if I'd lost you and...honestly, the thought of it scared the hell out of me."

"I don't know what to say," she admitted dumbstruck.

"Well that's a first," he teased affectionately.

"Shut up," she ordered and they both laughed; their eyes were fixed intently on one another.

"And here I thought you didn't care...," she taunted, attempting to ignore the gravity of his stare.

"You were wrong," he answered sincerely.

"Go figure," she tried to lighten the moment but the tension between them was undeniably charged, "I mean the thought of you and me, together is..."

"...Crazy," he supplied.

"Ridiculous really," she expanded.

"What's the matter Lois?" he smiled coyly, "Afraid to admit that you care about me too?"

"Afraid?" she scoffed, "I'm not afraid of anything, least of all you Smallville."

"Okay then."

"Okay," she mimicked.

"So?" he urged.

"So what?"

"Are you going to deny it?"

Captivated by his penetrating stare, Lois couldn't imagine what had come over him. Nor could she believe that she was about to confess what she'd only recently admitted to herself.

"No. I'm not going to deny it," she told him honestly.

Incapable of containing his excitement, Clark reached forward and took her hand. _How like us_, he thought, _to admit our feelings for one another in the middle of a verbal sparring match_.

"So what happens now?" Lois asked in an effort to hide her sharp intake of breath when Clark so earnestly took her hand in his.

_When had she become such a romantic?_

"I don't know. Maybe when you're feeling better we could go out sometime," he suggested hopefully.

"What, you mean like on a date?" she asked in a strange tone.

"Yeah," he worried, "Why? Is the idea of going out on a date with me so awful?"

"No! It's just going to take some getting used to," she squeezed his hand.

"You'll manage," he smiled warmly.

"Just remember Smallville, I don't barn dance. And I swear the first time you take me cow tipping will be the last time you're able to set foot in a field without the use of a walker!"

_There was the Lois he loved. _

"You're going to take all the fun out of this aren't you?" he teased affectionately.

"Sorry," she shrugged playfully, clearly not meaning it. The movement though had disrupted the flimsy gown that lay precariously on her shoulder, and it fell exposing the skin below. Reaching forward Clark gently lifted the fabric and resettled it over her shoulder, covering her once again.

The intimacy of the gesture was intoxicating, and Lois had to mentally restrain herself from lunging forward to kiss him. Whatever their relationship was, it was too new to complicate it that way...at least yet.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly.

His tender smile gave her butterflies, "You're welcome."

The intensity of his stare was making her restless, so Lois eagerly tried to change the subject, "What a night huh? You know I'm not sure what's more surprising…waking up in a hospital or finding out that you don't hate me."

Clark remained thoughtfully silent, her hand still safely contained in his. He sensed what was coming next, though he didn't try to preempt the line of questioning he was sure would follow.

"Speaking of which, how exactly did I get here anyway?" she prodded gently.

_And there it was._

"What do you mean? I brought you here," he finished casually.

"Huh," she breathed, "No offense Clark, but after the beating I saw you get...I have a hard time believing that _anyone_ could have just walked us out of there."

Considering that the last conscious memory she probably had was of him being thrown across the room and into a wall of concrete, he supposed her skepticism was probably reasonable.

"Well obviously I'm fine," he dismissed all too quickly for her satisfaction.

"Fine?" she sounded put out, "Oh, don't for one second think you're going to get out of explaining what really happened in there," he was slightly taken aback by her demand; though not because she clearly expected an answer, but because he was fresh out of clever explanations.

Sure he'd struggled with the idea of telling her his secret...but what was surprising was how he'd neglected to come up with an excuse for what she'd seen in case he changed his mind.

Ultimately he'd decided that to wait and hear what she actually remembered before he did anything. There wasn't any sense, he'd reasoned, in overwhelming her while she was still recovering. So for the time being he'd feign innocence...and hope that she hadn't made any sense of what she'd witnessed.

_At that he was a pro_, he thought remorsefully as he leaned back and let go of her hand.

He felt the loss of her immediately, but he wouldn't keep touching her while he intentionally tried to mislead her either; somehow it made him feel worse about what he was about do.

Lois' eyes sought his; she wasn't sure if she'd upset him, but she also wasn't capable of ignoring the strangeness of their escape.

"Nothing happened," he lied, "And how did _you_ end up there anyway?"

"Please Smallville!" she sounded incredulous, "putting it all together wasn't exactly rocket science. Besides, I told you I was desperate for a story. I would have gladly hopped after the Easter Bunny if I thought it would've made my editor happy."

"Let's hear it for journalistic integrity," he teased.

Fixing him with an annoyed look, Lois opened her mouth, a clever retort ready on her lips. But instead of delivering a witty one-liner she suddenly fell into a short, but clearly uncomfortable coughing fit. Immediately springing into action, Clark reached for the cup of ice water sitting at her bedside and lifted it against her lips to help her sip.

Though grateful, the intimacy of the moment was not lost on Lois; and neither were the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach.

"Thanks," she whispered hoarsely, and he smiled softly in return as he set the cup back down. "So...now that we both know what I was doing there...care to explain to me how we got away? I mean…no offense Clark, but the last thing I remember is steroid-boy flinging you at the wall like a bale of hay."

Clark shook his head, "You just can't resist those farm analogies can you?"

"Well, you know what they say Smallville...if the horseshoe fits," then looking him up and down, she prodded "So...?"

"What?" he was slightly confused.

"What happened in that ring?" she sighed in exasperation.

"What do you think happened Lois? We fought. He lost."

Lois was instantly skeptical and her frustration was starting to show, "You actually expect me to believe that you overpowered that ape? Clark, he was like twice your size!"

Clark shrugged as though it weren't a big deal.

"He wasn't that big," he observed defensively.

"So what..." she started disbelievingly, "Clark eats his Wheaties?"

"Something like that," he smiled. "Look maybe sometimes you just have to accept that good things happen, even if you don't always understand why. Can't you just let it go?"

Lois glared at him quizzically, before tilting her head and quirking her brow as if to say 'don't you know me at all'.

"I might be willing to if I didn't also remember breaking my wrist against your gut!" she added pointedly.

_Damn_.

"Care to explain _that _one?" she asked tersely.

"Not really."

"Clark..."

His evasiveness was beginning to make her angry; she shifted in an attempt to sit up but was interrupted by her nurse's disapproving voice. The morning shift had clearly started, since this woman tending to Lois now was not one that Clark was familiar with.

"Miss Lane, you really shouldn't try to move. You'll only aggravate your injuries," she chastised. Then shifting to address Clark she added, "I'm sorry Sir but she really does need her rest, and visiting hours don't resume for another couple of hours."

"Actually I want him to stay," Lois asserted.

Taken off guard by her sudden request, and sure that he must have misheard her, Clark blinked in surprise, "You do?"

Choosing not to meet his questioning gaze, Lois instead directed her remark at the nurse checking her IV, "Yes I do."

"Ms. Lane I'm afraid that visiting hours are over and its hospital policy that..."

Abruptly interrupting her, Lois stated firmly, "Look here Nurse Betty…I don't really care what the hospital policy says. He stays!"

Watching Lois carefully, Clark could only imagine the look on the nurse's face before she promptly turned on her heel and left them alone again.

Lois followed the woman's retreat with her eyes and then turned to look at Clark; she met his sparkling eyes, but hadn't expected to find him smiling, "What?"

"I didn't say anything," he responded nonchalantly, biting back a grin.

"So, maybe I don't like hospitals okay?" she offered as an explanation, "They give me the creeps," she shuddered.

Nodding his understanding, but unable to keep from snickering Clark told her, "That's interesting considering how hard you keep trying to end up in them."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"That you are _constantly_ putting yourself in harm's way Lois. I don't suppose it ever occurs to you how dangerous a situation is before you go running into it?"

"Oh that's rich coming from the guy who nearly got himself killed tonight in an underground fight club."

"That's different," he protested without thinking.

"Oh really?" she laughed derisively, "This ought to be good. Okay farm boy, enlighten me…how is it different?"

"Because I knew what I was getting into!" he asserted.

"Is that so?" Her tone conveyed disbelief.

"Yeah," he countered.

"Well assuming that's true...why would you do something so reckless? Huh?" Suddenly adopting the look of a chastised little boy Clark found it impossible to look her in the eye. He hung his head shamefully as she continued, "Because the Clark Kent that I know wouldn't ever intentionally go looking for a fight."

"Yeah well maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do!" he snapped in irritation; though his frustration wasn't intended for Lois. In fact as soon as his outburst was over he immediately regretted it; as much as he thrived on their passionate bantering back and forth, he had to admit that Lois always knew just what buttons to push to make him crazy.

A tense silence hung in the air between them.

"Maybe, but then I don't believe that any more than you do," Lois offered softly, her anger had apparently dissolved.

Clark breathed a sigh of relief as he realized she was letting him off the hook. He looked at her apologetically and settled his dark eyes on hers sheepishly, "I'm sorry I didn't mean that."

Nodding her acceptance Lois's gaze was perceptively softer now, and her voice sounded defeated.

"I'm trying really hard to understand what happened tonight Clark. But more importantly I don't understand why you won't just tell me the truth," she implored.

"Lois..." he intoned sadly.

"Look I'm not an idiot okay, so please stop treating me like one? I know something is different about you. There's no other logical explanation for how we got out of that place in one piece. It just doesn't make any sense."

Closing his eyes against the onslaught of truth, Clark shook his head disappointedly, "I'm sorry."

"I don't want an apology Clark! I want you to tell me truth! Why can't you just tell me? Tell me what you and Chloe are trying so hard to keep from me," she pleaded.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you Lois…It's just more complicated than that," he tried to explain.

"What's so complicated about it, unless you don't trust me?"

"This isn't about trust Lois," he promised firmly.

"You know Clark…it's not so surprising that yet another guy I care about is hiding something from me. I just never thought he'd be you."

"Lois..." Clark's heart twisted in his chest, and the pained look in his eyes conveyed the depth of his struggle.

"Alright then, fine! If you can't tell me, I'll just have to guess. You're obviously different," his eyes danced nervously as he watched her. He felt so conflicted; there was a part of him that hoped that she _would_ guess the truth. But a bigger part wanted nothing more than to protect her from it.

"And you're apparently invulnerable, so you must have a meteor-power right? It's the only thing that explains everything," she deduced.

Clark watched as she studied him with her gaze; his mother's warning replayed in his mind. _What was he waiting for? Why was he so afraid?_ This was Lois, and he didn't have to hide from her. If he wanted to be with her he knew he'd need to be honest about who he was, and more than that he _wanted_ to give her the truth. He _needed_ to tell her everything. Besides, it was obvious that she wasn't going to let the issue drop.

"No it isn't," he told her suddenly.

"And why isn't it?" she retorted.

Shaking his head lamely Clark confessed, "Because I'm not meteor-infected Lois."

"Okay well if you're not meteor-infected like every other pitch-fork carrying member of this crazy town then what? Your abilities had to come from somewhere! It's not like you just fell out of the sky!" she rashly declared.

His silence was deafening; Clark lifted his gaze to meet hers meaningfully. The intensity that shone through them pulsated in the space between their bodies.

"...Clark?" she breathed in confused amazement.

Clark struggled with his explanation, "Lois, my _abilities_...they're not from the meteor-shower. I was born with them, and where I'm from, they aren't unique to just me."

"What do you mean, 'where you're from'? Where exactly _are_ you from?"

Taking a deep breath Clark swallowed down the last remaining traces of his fear, "Krypton Lois."

Her confusion was written all over her face as he professed boldly, "I'm from a Planet called Krypton."


	7. Cashing in that Harley

[Chapter 7 – Cashing in that Harley]

* * *

"I'm sorry," Lois shook her head, certain she was hallucinating, "Krypton?"

"Yeah. My Kryptonian parents sent me here before the planet was destroyed."

"Your Kryptonian parents?" she repeated in utter confusion.

"Jor-El and Lara," he explained. He was amazed by how easily he was able to confide in her. It felt good to tell her the truth he realized...even if she wasn't sure she believed him yet.

"Mmm-hmm," Lois nodded, her muffled moan and pursed lips were tell-tale signs of her disbelief. Clark watched her carefully anticipating her reaction.

"Say Clark...when you brought me to the hospital did _you_ get checked out? You know...for head trauma?"

Clark couldn't help but chuckle. Her skepticism was understandable under the circumstances, if not fairly amusing. If nothing else it broke the tension between them.

_At least she wasn't running and screaming,_ he told himself.

Shaking his head and hiding a grin, Clark expanded, "You know that I was adopted, right Lois?"

Nodding seemed an easy enough response, so she settled for that for now as he continued. She was careful to keep her skepticism in check while he resumed his explanation.

"Well...the day of the Meteor shower that hit Smallville, my mom and dad found me in a field near the farm. They said it looked like I had...crashed there."

"Crashed? As in crash-landed?"

Clark nodded silently, waiting for her to put the rest of the pieces together. Surely she'd never doubt the word of his parents; it seemed to work.

"....So then, you were in a spaceship when they found you?"

"I guess you could call it that," he confirmed. "Although I like to think of it as an intergalactic car seat," he joked hoping that she'd appreciate the humor.

And he wasn't disappointed when she quirked an eyebrow in his direction.

"Clark, come on, you don't _actually_ expect me to believe that you're an a-"

She stopped herself short. She couldn't articulate the word she was thinking, especially with him watching her so intently. And even if she _could_ use the word, she realized it couldn't ever describe the man she knew.

"But you're so..."

"...Human?" he supplied.

"I was going to say plaid," she offered helpfully, and sighed in relief when he smiled again.

He looked at her longingly, "I'm still Clark."

Lois met his warm stare and wondered with a twinge of sadness why it had taken her so long to really _see_ him. There were so many layers to Clark Kent that she'd never acknowledged, so much that she'd missed out on until now.

And suddenly she felt unworthy of his friendship.

"I know," she murmured meaningfully. She wouldn't be repeating that particular mistake again, she resolved.

"And Chloe knows about all this?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "She's known for awhile now."

Absorbing that information Lois nodded solemnly as he continued softly, "To be honest I don't know what I'd do without her; or even how I managed to keep it from her for so long."

"And Lana?" Lois asked without any preamble. When his head shot up in surprise, she sensed that the subject of his relationship with Lana Lang might still be a sore one, "Does she know too?"

"No. I never _could_ tell her," he sounded remorseful. But despite his apparent sadness Lois couldn't help but feel a little relieved by his confession.

"But I'm different?" she voiced her amazement.

"Yes," he intoned softly as he reached out to take her hand again, "You're different."

"Why?" The concept seemed somehow beyond her comprehension.

"What would you say Lois if I told you that I don't know why. I just know."

She blinked in surprise, clearly unable to form a coherent response. Had he been talking to anyone else the silence might have been unsettling, but the fact that this was Lois presented him with a rare opportunity.

In this case her silence was an encouraging sign; it meant she was working it all out and that knowledge emboldened him. Clark smiled as he absently began stroking her hand beneath his fingers.

"You told me once," he started quietly, "That by tucking my feelings for Lana away, I was keeping them safe for the woman that I was destined to be with. Do you remember?"

Smiling fondly Lois recalled the analogy, "...The bike and the Harley."

She hadn't realized it then, but for days afterward she'd wondered if she hadn't been alluding to herself that night.

Nodding his confirmation, Clark leaned over and cradled her hand in both of his before touching his lips to it ever so gently. The endearment took her completely by surprise but it sent a ripple of warmth up her arm and straight through to her heart.

Her eyes were fixed on his as he huskily broke the silence, "I'm cracking open the piggy bank Lois."

Acutely aware of his meaning, Lois was speechless. It was an effect that Clark was noticing he had on her, and it secretly thrilled him.

Pinning her hand against the solid warmth of his chest, Clark leaned over her slightly and with his other palm gently caressed her cheek, "I realized something tonight Lois when I saw you lying on the floor of that ring," he spoke softly. "At some point, and I'm not sure when, but somewhere along the way...I fell in love with you."

Her mouth was agape; words barely escaped her, "What did you just say?"

"I think you heard me," he smiled secretly; his eyes danced with the excitement he felt.

"I think I'm recovering from a head injury," she retorted.

He'd concede her that; it was only fair, "I said I'm in love with you Lois."

Hearing him a second time didn't quell her surprise, "You are?"

No one had ever said those words to her before. Well, no one except for Chloe of course, but she was pretty sure that didn't count.

"I am," he affirmed easily; his voice steady with conviction.

Lois shook her head hoping to focus her thoughts, but wound up muttering to herself, "I can't believe that I'm about to ruin this moment by opening my big mouth but I have to know and here it is..."

Clark watched her intently, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as she rambled on.

"Lois?"

"What about Lana, Clark?" She broke in abruptly before she lost her nerve; and as Lois met his curious stare, she was suddenly absent the courage she'd had moments ago. It wasn't like her to be so insecure. She hated that he had the ability to reduce to her to some love struck teenager simply by looking at her that way.

Somewhat at a loss, Clark considered her carefully, "I don't know what you mean Lois."

"Clark, I know how devastated you were when she married Lex," she breathed miserably, "I know you still love her."

"Lois..." he started but was immediately interrupted by another tirade.

"And I mean of course you do! Judging by the stories that Chloe's told me over the years, every male within a hundred mile radius of Smallville has been hung up on her at one point or another, all I'm saying is..."

"Lois!" he broke in grinning. And when finally he'd gotten her attention he continued fervently, "It's true that there's a part of me that will always care for Lana. And it's true that it took her marrying Lex for me realize that it was time for me to move on. But it also made me think about my feelings for her…"

She swallowed in apprehension as he reached over and lifted her chin with his finger, "And _no_ Lois, I'm not in love with her. I'm not even sure if what she and I had was ever really love."

Not trusting herself to speak just yet, Lois watched him quietly as he continued, "Because see the thing is, that it wasn't Lana that found me that first night in the field and stayed with me when I couldn't remember who I was. She didn't protect or look after my parents all the times that I couldn't. And Lana wasn't there for me all the times that I needed someone but didn't know how to ask. _You were_, Lois. I could _never_ be honest with her; I could never tell her the truth about who I was or what I could do. But with you…I don't want to hide anything from you Lois. And I'm only now beginning to understand what that means."

Not until he'd met Lois Lane had Clark begun to understand what his parents meant all the times they'd told him that he'd know when he'd found his soul mate.

Clark's voice became raw as the memory of the last several hours replayed in his mind, "Lana's been a lot of things to me, Lois...but you're the only woman that I know I can't live without. I was just too stubborn to realize it until now. And I'm ashamed that it took almost losing you for me to finally see it."

"Really?" she whispered in amazement.

Clark pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the top her knuckles; Lois' eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. She felt rather than saw him nod against her skin, "Really."

Lois opened her eyes and saw how deeply he meant it. She nodded her acceptance as he added, "Okay, now it's your turn."

She furrowed her brow in confusion, "My turn for what?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You're kidding right? Lois I'm kind of pouring my heart out here, _and_ I just told you I'm an alien from another planet you've never even heard of. So I need to know how you feel about all of this."

"You want to know how I'm feeling."

Suddenly nervous he asked, "I need to know if this changes how you feel about me."

Lois collected her thoughts and sat up to better face him; she sighed dramatically and prefaced solemnly, "Seriously Clark I don't know what you expect me to say. I mean, I hope you aren't waiting for me to pour my heart out like some Hallmark card, because if you love me as much as I love you, you'd know I don't do long and sappy."

His eyes were cast downward as he absorbed her rant; his half-smile a reply to her obvious nervousness. He was so preoccupied by her adorable reaction that he hadn't yet fully registered the depth of her admission.

"Lois, I…" he started before suddenly halting with revelation.

_Had she just admitted she loved him?_

The stupefied look on his face made her smile, and her eyes settled over him with amusement.

_Give him a second...he's almost got it._..she mentally chided.

"Lois...?" he breathed, his voice taking on that husky quality she was really starting to love.

"Yes Clark?" she grinned widely.

"You love me," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Smallville I already said that," she teased him happily, "Still not the sharpest tool in the barn are you?"

He completely ignored her jab, "I've waited my whole life for this."

"To hear me call you an idiot? Now you know I'm always happy to remind you Clark. Next time you need to hear it...just ask," she offered teasingly.

His eyes sparkled with laughter, "No Lois. For you."

It was a good thing he couldn't read her thoughts. Mentally she was swooning so loud that if it were any louder it would've been audible to the naked ear.

_Wait a second, he couldn't read her thoughts...could he? _The issue of his other abilities was a conversation they'd definitely need to schedule for later.

"Of course you have Smallville," she assured softly, "Don't worry I'm not going to let you forget it either."

"Do you believe in destiny, Lois?" his breath tickled at her eyelashes as she watched him inch closer. Her lips tingled with the anticipation of his kiss and her fingertips absently grazed over his plaid covered chest. She felt him warm beneath the pads of her fingertips, his heartbeat pulsed a strong and steady rhythm under her touch. Suddenly she knew that she'd waited her whole life for him too.

"You mean like soul mates?" she whispered breathlessly; suddenly she was devoid of any witty rejoinders.

He was so close to her that when he spoke she could feel his lips brush over hers, "Do you think it's possible?"

"I don't know Clark. But something tells me you and I were always meant to find out," she whispered just before his lips finally closed over hers.

The warmth that radiated through them when their lips met was intoxicating. It was a feeling that neither could explain nor deny; a completeness that rang so true that they could have only been made for it.

She pulled him tighter into the line of her body, as their lips wrestled with a slow growing intensity. In that moment Lois and Clark both discovered what it felt like to come home.

* * *

**[The End?] For the next part of this story please check out its sequel "The Recovery Period". And please please please, won't you hit the feedback button? :)**


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